Welcome from the Director of the Centre for Language Studies

Languages have been taught at LSE for over 100 years. The current Centre for Language Studies was founded in 1996 to offer institution-wide language programmes for staff and students at the School. We offer degree courses in five languages (French, German, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish) and in literature and linguistics. In addition, we offer non degree courses in nine languages, and as Centre for Language Studies students, you can enrol free of charge on these courses (see our non-degree language courses).

We teach our courses in the context of social scientific study and research. Our language courses are “language and society”, and economic, social and political themes run through all the courses we teach. Our literature courses are similarly focused on placing literature in the social context in which the works you study were written. Sociolinguistics and intercultural communication also have to be taught in ways that emphasise the setting and cultural contexts of language use.

Staff at the Centre for Language Studies are experienced language teachers, many of whom have taught at the Centre for many years. LSE is a fascinating institution for anyone interested in understanding human behaviour, and we try to bring our own professional expertise to students’ thinking about social, economic and political life.

Although we teach around 3,000 LSE students each year, we only have 30 degree programme places per year, so you are joining a small and collegial Centre, where we know each student by name. We look forward to having you on our degree programmes and in our classes.

Finally, I'll hand you over to Melisande and Marie-Solveig who will tell you three things you need to know about the Centre and their experience as Centre students.

Dr Neil McLean
Director, LSE Centre for Language Studies